News

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review what has been called the largest employment class action in U.S. history — Wal-Mart Stores v. Dukes. The class of plaintiffs is estimated to include approximately 1.5 million former and current female Wal-Mart employees seeking monetary relief that could amount to billions of dollars in back pay.

Betty Dukes, a Wal-Mart employee, initially filed the case in federal court on behalf of “certain named plaintiffs and those similarly situated.” The district court certified a class of female employees alleging sex discrimination in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the certification. According to Wal-Mart’s petition to the Supreme Court, the nationwide class “includes every woman employed for any period of time over the past decade, in any of Wal-Mart’s approximately 3,400 separately managed stores, 41 regions, and 400 districts, and who held positions in any of approximately 53 departments and 170 different job classifications.”

Although the case involves alleged sex discrimination, the Court won’t be deciding whether the alleged discrimination occurred but instead will have to determine whether class-action treatment is appropriate. Wal-Mart argues that the class is too large for it to properly defend itself against and that the cases should be decided on an individual basis. Wal-Mart also noted in its petition that “if the Ninth Circuit decision in this case stands, virtually every employer in the land could be subject to a similar suit.”

Many analysts believe this may be the most important Supreme Court case to businesses this term and that the Court’s decision could have a huge impact on class-action lawsuits (including employment discrimination actions) as a whole. The Court is expected to hear this case in the spring, and we will continue to keep you updated on its status.

Featured Resource

It’s easy to think of total rewards as simply “pay and benefits,” but that’s a very limited view for today’s businesses. Why would an employer want to utilize a total rewards strategy? Download this free report and find out. Download this free report now.

Connect with Us

Free Resources

According to Gallup’s State of the American Workplace survey report, only 33% of employees are engaged at work. This means two-thirds of your workforce are disengaged! If all these workers aren’t invested in your organizational values and goals; what is this doing to your bottom line? Employee Engagement Expert, Jill Christensen, will provide you with 4 tips to curbing employee […]

The majority of U.S. employees (61%) do not believe their employers’ well-being initiatives meet their needs. Concurrent Willis Towers Watson research finds a dramatic increase among employers seeking to differentiate their health and well-being programs for competitive advantage.

While holiday parties are great, they’re also a prime place for compliance infringements. If you’re not prepared, these compliance issues could result in sexual harassment claims or even a lawsuit. According to a study, 52% of employed professionals say they have seen someone under the influence at a company-sponsored event whose behavior crossed the line […]

It’s easy to think of total rewards as simply “pay and benefits,” but that’s a very limited view for today’s businesses. Why would an employer want to utilize a total rewards strategy? Download this free report and find out. Download this free report now.

HR Challenge

HR Solution Showcase

Workforce Management

Kronos is the global leader in delivering workforce management solutions in the cloud. Tens of thousands of organizations in more than 100 countries — including more than half of the Fortune 1000® — use Kronos to control labor costs, minimize compliance risk, and improve workforce productivity. Learn more about Kronos industry-specific time and attendance, scheduling, absence management, HR and payroll, hiring, and labor analytics applications at www.kronos.com

Talent Management

Halogen, now part of Saba Software, offers a cloud-based talent management suite that puts ongoing, next-generation performance management principles at the center of all talent programs, including learning and development, succession planning, recruiting, and compensation. Halogen's powerful, yet simple-to-use solutions, which also include industry-vertical editions, help organizations win with talent, by aligning their talent and business strategies to deliver exceptional outcomes. For more information, visit: www.halogensoftware.com